Thursday, December 31, 2015

Disney's Emmy Award-winning animated series "Gravity Falls" reaches its final showdown in the highly anticipated one-hour finale episode on MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15 (7:00 p.m. EST) on Disney XD. In the episode titled "Weirdmageddon 3: Take Back The Falls," Ford discovers Bill's true motives and then a final confrontation with Bill leads to the Pines family's ultimate fate and greatest sacrifice. Starring Jason Ritter ("Parenthood") as Dipper and Kristen Schaal ("The Last Man on Earth") as Mabel, the animated adventure-comedy series was created and is executive-produced by Alex Hirsch. The series will continue to be presented daily on Disney XD and Disney Channels around the world.

For years, we've allowed the toy industry to tell our children which store aisle they should dream in. Those aisles are populated by princesses and models and fantasy characters...all with unrealistic proportions...and most only coming in one skin color. Now we have an opportunity to change all that.

When we last saw our merry band of miserable zombie apocalypse survivors, they were about to wade through a sea of the undead with only their fabulous coats of many bloody colors to mask their delicious, meaty human aroma. Of course, a somewhat unhinged, yelling child might throw a wrench in those plans. WHOOOO WILL BE EATEN??!! Tune in February 12th and find out! Until then, AMC provides a little trailer tease of what's to come while reminding us of what's in play, and what's at stake.

Capturing all that is awesome about Bruce Campbell as the cult classic icon, Ash Williams returns to the remote cabin in the woods where he must hack and slash his way past hordes of relentlessly deranged Deadites who want him dead by dawn. Just your average convenience store employee with a penchant for sweet-talking the ladies, the resilient, blood-stained survivor has been through hell and back in his torn shirt and brown pants. Thanks to the forces of darkness summoned by the evil Necronomicon, the glorious gorefest continues as Henrietta’s disfigured remains emerge from the cellar, dying to swallow his soul. But ‘armed’ with more than cheesy quips, Ash can definitely hold his own with his infamous chainsaw appendage, and handy sawed-off double barrel shotgun. Bring it on, baby.

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment proudly presents the bi-coastal premieres of Batman: Bad Blood, the next entry in the popular, ongoing series of DC Universe Original Movies, at the Paley Center for Media in New York on January 19, 2016 and Los Angeles on February 1, 2016. Filmmakers and members of the voice cast will attend the event for red carpet media interviews and a post-screening panel discussion.

Both premieres will begin at approximately 7:00pm. Filmmakers and voice cast members participating at the two premieres will be announced as confirmed. The Paley Center for Media in New York City is located at 25 West 52nd Street. The Paley Center for Media in Los Angeles is located at 465 North Beverly Drive in Beverly Hills.

Summoned to Earth on December 23rd, 1944, the half-demon child known as Anung Un Rama was intended change the tide of WWII in Germany's favor. Instead he was discovered by US soldiers, given the name Hellboy, and would go on to fight the forces of evil as an adult.

Working closely with creator Mike Mignola to design the definitive baby Hellboy, the figure features 6 points of articulation (neck, tail, shoulders, right elbow, and right wrist), and the cutest lil face Hell ever spawned. Now's your chance to hold this little bundle of demonic joy in your own hands!

Wednesday, December 30, 2015

Written and directed by Matt Osterman (Ghost from the Machine), 400 DAYS centers on four astronauts sent on a simulated mission to a distant planet to test the psychological effects of deep space travel. Locked away for 400 days, the crew's mental state begins to deteriorate when they lose all communication with the outside world. The feature film stars Brandon Routh and CaityLotz (who also star in the upcoming Arrow/Flash spinoff series DC’s Legends of Tomorrow), Emmy® nominee Ben Feldman (Mad Men), comedian Dane Cook (Detention, Mr. Brooks), Tom Cavanaugh (The Flash) and Grant Bowler (Defiance).

Sunday, December 27, 2015

The holidays have come and gone and we are ready to greet a new year with half a bazillion geek movie epics ready to take center stage and even more insane horror films lining up for your entertainment dollars. One quiet, creepy, funny little film called KRAMPUS hit theaters this month and grabbed the hearts of a crowd I didn't suspect were looking forward to the film...FAMILIES!! Massive, excellent surprise to me that people took their kids to the (other) feel good movie of the year.

Back in October, Dread Central and Universal sent me off to Pittsburgh, PA to a place called Scarehouse. Inside, my group of East Coast journalists were greeted with all manner of creeps and ghouls around every maze like corner before spilling into an amazingly artistic area that would make Edward Gorey grin from ear to ear (which incorporated elements of Trick R Treat!) and finally capping with a journey into the lore of the KRAMPUS!! Included in this journey was one room which featured monsters, imagery and prop weapons straight from the film. Since our views of these things were fast, shadowy and fleeting, we thought you might want a closer look. Enjoy!

Wednesday, December 23, 2015

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and DC Entertainment announced the Season of Infamy: Most Wanted Expansion for Batman™: Arkham Knight is available beginning today for fans who have purchased the Batman: Arkham Knight Season Pass for the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, Xbox One, or PC, and are connected to the Internet. The content is also available to purchase separately.

Play as Batman in the Season of Infamy: Most Wanted Expansion, protecting Gotham City from an invasion of legendary Super-Villains. Fight back against The Dark Knight’s biggest foes in four separate missions, with all new story arcs featuring DC Comics characters The Mad Hatter, Killer Croc, Ra’s Al Ghul and Mr. Freeze.

Video-game industry pioneer COLECO re-enters the market, partnering with Retro Video Game Systems, Inc., to introduce a new, modern-day video-game system called the COLECO Chameleon.

COLECO Chameleon is a versatile new video-game system that serves as a modern day take on the classic game console and will accurately play compilations of favorite games from the past. The COLECO Chameleon also has the ability play brand-new games in the 8-, 16- and 32-bit styles, a growing and popular genre in today’s game scape.

Chris Cardillo, a partner in COLECO said, "Mark [Thomann] and I are excited to work hand-in-hand with Retro Video Game Systems, Inc. in the launch of the COLECO Chameleon. It's ironic that a classic video-game system would actually revolutionize and revitalize the COLECO brand."

Tuesday, December 22, 2015

Just a little something to remind people that DEADPOOL IS COMING..and that everything is better in IMAX...on a wall..bigger than your house...in 3D...most likely involving pelvic thrusting and rubber chicken fighting at some point....God willing. Armed with accelerated healing powers and a twisted sense of humor, former mercenary Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) goes in search of the man who nearly destroyed his life....John Stamos. Just kidding. Maybe. Deadpool hits screens across Murica February 12, 2016.

Activision Publishing, Inc. and FreeStyleGames today announced that acclaimed band Avenged Sevenfold is taking over GHTV for a one-hour show, taking gamers through some of their most beloved rock songs playable in Guitar Hero Live. Premiering today and airing multiple times throughout the week, the show is dubbed "A7X Rock Classics" and features exclusive footage of the band talking about and introducing some of their all-time favorite songs.

Monday, December 21, 2015

The characters from the frighteningly popular horror game Five Nights at Freddy’s are sneaking into Funko!

During the day Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza is a place of joy, where kids and parents alike enjoy the entertainment from the main attraction – the animatronic Freddy Fazbear and friends! But, at night, things start to change and those characters start to go missing!

Get ready to shame me.... I have never watched a single episode of Hannibal. I KNOW...I know..it's wonderful and beautiful and amazing and I've heard it all, but I already have far too much TV to watch and I want to have a tiny bit of a life too. I'll get to it..believe me...one day. For those of you who have been pouring over every episode and agonizing over the show's untimely demise, we present to you, some little plastic people for your throne of worship.

We are closing in on CHRISTMASSSSS!!! (with Santa!! I know him!!) And that means a new year and that's in January and that means TOY FAIR TIME!!! For plastic freaks, it is truly the most wonderful time of the year. Idle Hands will be running across the planet to bring you the latest toys you'll find on shelves in 2016, so sit tight and enjoy! First up, we've got an ocean of LEGO news just dropping. Let's get started with the Marvel Super Heroes sets coming very soon, which include Captain America: Civil War themes...so..suffice to say SPOILER WARNING!! DO NOT CONTINUE IF YOU'D LIKE TO KEEP EVERYTHING FROM CAPTAIN AMERICA CIVIL WAR A SECRET!!

Friday, December 18, 2015

As Star Wars: The Force Awakens hits theaters across the planet...and as tradition dictates, only on the biggest of films, am I the last of the last to see the damn thing, Funko lets loose a tiny pile of pictures of the next wave of The Force Awakens Pop Vinyl Figures! I mean, comparatively it's tiny, seeing how the first dump of these lil adorable plastic guys was about 6 to 8 deep..give or take..i'm too lazy to look it up. THEY RELEASED 20 ALL AT ONCE. Sure why not. Here's the next 5 hitting stores...sooon...and while I don;t really need to say it.. SPOILER WARNING!! DO NOT CONTINUE INTO THE ARTICLE IF YOU DON'T WANT ANYTHING FROM STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS SPOILED!!

Thursday, December 17, 2015

Season One of ABC’s Once Upon a Time aired in 2011, and I was drawn in by the first episode. The show centers on Emma Swan, or “the Savior,” a young woman who doesn’t know about her magical powers or that her parents are Snow White and Prince Charming. Her son, Henry, who she had put up for adoption, tracks her down because he believes the town he lives in, Storybrooke, is populated by fairy tale characters under a curse only she can save. What’s more, he fears his adoptive mother is the Evil Queen who casts the spell that made them all lose their memory, taking away everyone's happy endings. Classic hero myth. The unsuspecting, unwilling protagonist must decide to see the best in herself in order to save a kingdom, a town, and a family. Throughout the series, rising above temptation to make moral choices and learning that magic comes with a price become the foundation of the show.

Love em...Hate em...it's happening..and SONY is going to ease you into it as best they can. An all female crew of Ghostbusters is heading to theaters July 15th, 2016 and if you stand in their way, they will point proton blasts at your nether regions and you'll never be able to cross streams again. Today, 4 massive mega magazines got to world premiere the character posters for this new crew. Let's take a look...

Thirty years after the original film took the world by storm, Ghostbusters is back and fully rebooted for a new generation. Director Paul Feig combines all the paranormal fighting elements that made the original franchise so beloved with a cast of new characters, played by the funniest actors working today. Get ready to watch them save the world this summer!

Following the critically acclaimed release of The Art of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe and the He-Man and the Masters of the Universe Minicomic Collection, Dark Horse and Mattel are set to deliver another must-have book in 2016: He-Man and the Masters of the Universe: A Complete Guide to the Classic Animated Adventures!From 1983 to 1987, He-Man and his twin sister She-Ra entranced a generation of boys and girls all around the word with their animated adventures, offering not only cartoon excitement but also important moral guidance.Now, Dark Horse Books is proud to present the first-ever official companion to the classic series, featuring nearly 600 pages of fascinating story synopses, behind-the-scenes artwork, and trivia for every single episode of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe and She-Ra: Princess of Power.

Wednesday, December 16, 2015

Eagle eyed readers will instantly recognize the box style and maybe even the art direction on these figures as resembling the Anchorman line, which included some battle ready TV personalities everyone flipped over. Now Beeline are back, delivering the Pulp Fiction figures we begged for years ago, complete with movie phrases that won't have you saying WHAT again!!Beeline Creative, Miramax, and Quentin Tarantino have teamed up to manufacture and distribute a line of talking, collectible action figures based on the classic film Pulp Fiction. The series of 13-inch figures will include signature accessories, custom-tailored clothing, and up to 12 iconic, explicit movie quotes. Thread-Headz is a collectible line of standing, stylized plush measuring about 6.5 inches tall. These officially licensed toys will feature key characters from popular American movies, including Pulp Fiction and Kill BillVolumes 1 and 2.

Friday, December 11, 2015

Thirteen years after the original series run, the next mind-bending chapter of THE X-FILES is a thrilling, six-episode event series from creator/executive producer Chris Carter, with stars David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson re-inhabiting their roles as iconic FBI Agents FOX MULDER and DANA SCULLY. Mitch Pileggi also returns as FBI ASST. DIR. WALTER SKINNER, Mulder and Scully’s boss, who walks a fine line between loyalty to these investigators and accountability to his superiors. This marks the momentous return of the Emmy- and Golden Globe Award-winning pop culture phenomenon, which remains one of the longest-running sci-fi series in network television history.

Still not feeling the love for this movie version of Casey Jones (WHERE'S THE ATTITUDE??!!), but on the flip side, I'm loving how insane it seems they went with the rest of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie universe! The winning formula for a live action TMNT movie will always be hysterical, smart writing, plots that make at least a little sense and crazy, crazy moments. Basically everything the first movie was not. It can't take itself so seriously..and that is the most important element. Paramount unleashes a new trailer for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows, complete with nods to our favorite cartoon/comic book characters and the classic toy line. Basically, they geeked all over it..and it's working. My God, it's working.

Rom the Space Knight began life as one of the first LED-driven action figures in the late 1970's, then went on to much more acclaim as a comic book hero. Now, removed from comics for over three decades, the character is being given new life in Rom the Space Knight, an all-new comic book series from IDW Publishing.Rom the Space Knight #0 will make its debut on the first Saturday in May as IDW’s “Gold” offering for Free Comic Book Day. The annual FCBD event sees thousands upon thousands of comics from all publishers given away for free at participating comic shops. The comic will be co-written by IDW Chief Creative Officer/Editor-in-Chief Chris Ryall and acclaimed comic-book/TV writerChristos Gage. Art on Rom #0 will be handled by David Messina, who will also be sharing artistic duties on the ongoing Rom series. The cover art for Rom #0 is by the Wild Blue Yonder team of Zach Howard and Nelson Daniel.

Thursday, December 10, 2015

With an eye for detail, eternally faithful to the original and current comic books, Axel Braun continues to defy the notions of movie studio executives while bringing comic book icons to a larger....pervier audience! With a title like Avengers Vs X-Men which appears to have little to do with the newest tiresome Pheonix Saga and mentions the Onslaught Event from the get go, fans will always remember that porn will always be ahead of the curve. (curves? .....butts.) We've got plenty of stills from the new film and a Safe For Work trailer that will have your less geeky friends saying..WOW..those super heroes sure do like to smootch!

Master of None, a new series created by Aziz Ansari and Alan Yang, does what most television does not do today—cater to the audience’s preference for binging. Although Master of None is on Netflix, dropping all ten episodes on November 6th, a driving narrative does not propel audiences further. Instead, the show takes more comedic risks, as Ansari explores his new role as a creator, writer, and director of a TV series.

Master of None does use a cast of characters we get to know better throughout the season, and the main character Dev’s questions regarding relationships is an arc throughout. However, since every episode is themed, it can stand alone. Each tackles various topics as indicated by the flashing titles on the opening screen: “Parents,” “Old People,” or “Indians on TV.” Thus, the show lends itself best to traditional pacing versus the full-on binge, allowing us to mull over dialogue and themes—something our instant gratification culture often avoids today (I might have devoured them all in one day anyway).

So you said you wanted something that will allow you to bypass the subliminal "politics" of your local toy store's "pink aisle". You want your kids to be able to play with something that doesn't immediately tell them what to be, how to dress..and essentially, how to live. Now, there may be an alternative, but your help is needed to make it happen!

The Dream BIG Friends Kickstarter Campaign has 24 days left and is closing in on 50k, but there's still a long way to go. If you believe in what the creators of Yuna are trying to do, now's the time to get the word out. If you've got the cash to lend support, that's awesome, but more importantly, they need you to give a shout to everyone who sees your social media posts. Got a website? Drop the creators an email and they'll send you a press release with lots of images you can run. Know someone influential that would get behind this movement? Drop them a tip! We are talking about the first Asian American character at the center of a "fashion" doll line..who loves tacos, giant robots and thermodynamics. If that's not newsworthy, I don't know what is. There's also an event page on Facebook, and just clicking going shows your support.

Do we have to say it? SPOILER WARNING!! IF YOU WISH TO HAVE NOTHING RUINED FOR YOU, DO NOT READ AHEAD.
There have been many fan theories about several characters in the new Star Wars: The Force Awakens film buzzing about the inter webs. Some make a lot of sense...and some are laughable, reassuring us that our geeky brothers and sisters are capable of putting waaaay too much thought into a movie they had no hand in creating. Yes, I get the fandom, and the love, having been a fan all my life, not long after my mother took me to see the first film as a child. I guess I just don't take it to extremes...unless I've got something to squint at for half an hour, forcing me to form my own hypothesis around the origins of one particular character...

Monday, December 7, 2015

Punk Rock Bowling is pleased to announce the first round of bands for the 18th Annual Punk Rock Bowling Tournament and Music Festival to take place in Las Vegas, NV from May 26-30 and the inaugural debut of PRB East in Asbury Park, NJ from June 10-12, 2016.

Due to overwhelming demand from our East Coast brethren that just can’t make the cross country trek to the City of Sin, we will celebrate our 18th Birthday on both coasts for 2016. And to take part in the celebration, Punk Rock Bowling is proud to announce a sneak peak of the lineup so far. . .

Flogging Molly, Descendents, Cock Sparrer, Flag, Exploited, Dagnasty, Subhumans, Dillinger Four, Anti-Nowhere League, Youth Brigade and The Dwarves have all signed on to play so far.

Now everyone can “Bring Him Home” with the highly anticipated release of the stellar movie event of the year. Buckle up and brace for the thrilling journey that is Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment’s THE MARTIAN, arriving on Digital HD December 22 and 3D Blu-ray™, Blu-ray & DVD Jan.12, 2016. From legendary director Ridley Scott (Alien, Prometheus) comes a gripping tale of human strength and the will to survive. During a mission to Mars, American astronaut Mark Watney (played by Academy Award winner Matt Damon) is presumed dead and left behind. But Watney is still alive. Against all odds, he must find a way to contact Earth in the hope that scientists can devise a rescue plan to bring him home. Based on the best-selling novel by Andy Weir, THE MARTIAN provides a realistic glimpse into life in outer-space that will have you on the edge of your seat! In addition to wowing audiences around the world, the film is one of best reviewed of the year and has been named one of the best movies of the year by such groups as National Board of Review, which also awarded top honors to Ridley Scott for Best Director, Matt Damon for Best Actor and Drew Goddard for Best Adapted Screenplay.

Have you been looking for a toy that can double as home invasion deterrent, watch over your baby and allow you to ride in the HOV lane on major highways? JAKKS to the rescue!!

New from JAKKS Pacific; straight out of Halo 5: Guardians comes the BIG-FIGS Massive scale 31 inch Master Chief action figure! Master Chief has 7 points of articulation in his neck, shoulders, wrists, waist and special bicep articulation points allowing him to be displayed in an iconic two-handed rifle wielding pose.

Designed with the video game enthusiast in mind this colossal figure features authentic details including the Master Chief’s signature green MJOLNIR combat armor and UNSC issued MA5 Rifle in hand. Every detail is captured in this amazing larger than life figure. Complete your 31 inch BIG-FIGS Massive scale collection today! Look for it in the action figure aisle.

Discover the stuff that dreams are made of. Hold your breath, make a wish, count to three. Take a day off with Ferris Bueller. Survive a winter in the Overlook Hotel. Movie lovers will be able to do all of this and more in 2016 as Fathom Events partners with Turner Classic Movies (TCM) for the biggest-ever “TCM Big Screen Classics” series.

The not-to-miss lineup begins in January and continues monthly throughout the year as Fathom Events and TCM bring some of the greatest titles ever back into movie theaters, each for just four showings. These classics will each be accompanied by specially produced commentary from TCM hosts Robert Osborne or Ben Mankiewicz.

Thursday, December 3, 2015

Beginning in 2016, two of the most influential brands in global media, Turner and WME | IMG, will partner to create a professional eSports league, named ELEAGUE, unprecedented in its size, scope and production value. For the first time in gaming history, in addition to over 30 hours of weekly competition streamed live digitally, eSports will be presented on a fully-distributed national television platform, TBS, and will be staged, produced and promoted in a manner reflective of other major traditional American sports leagues such as the NFL, NBA and Major League Baseball. ELEAGUE will debut in 2016 with tournaments featuring Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO).

Mondo set the collecting world on fire this year with plenty of updates on their mind-blowing, massive Iron Giant action figure, the announcement of the return of MADBALLS, giant sized Mirage inspired Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and more. Mondo has always been a tight group of fans making product for the films and projects they love. Now their collectibles division is following this same line of thinking and succeeds in making many a geek's dreams come true with every report. Brock Otterbacher, Mondo's Creative Director for Toys and Collectibles, gives us the latest word on all things plastic...

Adding to their impressive and unquestionably beautifully conceived, painted and fully executed retro video game series of action figures, NECA allowed Pixel Dan to announce the coming of CONTRA ACTION FIGURES!! Complete with NECA's now trademark 8bit-esque paint aps and armed with enough firepower to cut a side scrolling jungle in 2, this marks the first time Nintendo's Contra stars will be available as action figures.

We all thought that first quiet, impactful Star Wars: The Force Awakens trailer was a thing of beauty. ....we may have been taking ourselves far too seriously. Geeks, it's time to change all that. Tina Fey and Amy Poelher to the rescue with a featurette for their new film "Sisters" that pokes fun at the social relevance and self importance of a freaking fantasy movie trailer.

Let's just get this out of the way...and then I have words. Many, many words...

Let me begin by saying I loved the Captain America: Civil War trailer. I'll add I've been reading comics pretty much my entire life with most of my childhood immersed in DC and then moving into Marvel in my early teens, and while I can honestly say I spend more time loving Marvel, I can't say I love any one universe more than the other. Batman is pretty much cooler than 60% of the Marvel Universe...so there you go. Like many fans my age, Bruce Timm's DC Animated Universe stands as the highest achievement in telling the tales of the DC Comics Universe, adapted for a younger audience while staying true to the older fans. In my opinion, if you want to successfully re-create that universe for the big screen, you start by talking to Bruce.

Idle Hands strives for very little overhead, but we still run into expenses when covering the events you love, keeping our gear up to snuff and the basics ...like feeding ourselves. It's your contributions that help keep us running, so if you love what you read here and you want to see more of it, please chip in!